Featured image: A creek in Walhalla in 2020, shown for location context; not the rescue site. Photo: Rje7176 / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
A 17-year-old who disappeared during a camping trip in Australia has been found alive after six days, ending a search through bushland in the state of Victoria.
William was rescued on Thursday, November 12, after a police helicopter crew spotted a fishing tackle box and then saw him nearby in a creek, Victoria Police said.
Speaking from hospital afterward, the teenager described eating small portions from a family-sized bag of chicken-flavored potato chips and drinking creek water during his ordeal. The chips lasted about two days, he told Sunrise in an interview reported by 7NEWS.
A short walk became a six-day disappearance
Police said William had been camping with a friend when he was last seen near Stoney Creek Road, between Cowwarr and Walhalla, at about 4 p.m. on Friday, November 6.
His mother had dropped him off for the weekend. He walked back toward the drop-off location to collect more equipment but did not return. His friend searched for him without success.
Uniformed officers, specialist police units, other emergency agencies and volunteers subsequently joined the search.
Helicopter crew finds a crucial clue
The police Air Wing was searching the Cowwarr area when officers noticed the tackle box in bushland around two kilometers east of Stoney Creek.
After locating William nearby, flight officers winched down to retrieve him. They took him to the command post, where he was reunited with his mother.
Police described him as being in good spirits and largely in good health, and said he was taken to hospital for monitoring.
William describes cold nights and relief
In his Sunrise interview, William recalled cold nights, rain and difficult, rocky terrain. He said he became frightened as darkness approached and worried that rescuers would not be able to see him.
“Honestly, I didn’t think I’d make it six days,” he said.
He also described singing John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads to comfort himself while alone.
For William, the reunion with his mother brought an emotional end to the ordeal. He thanked the emergency workers and medical staff involved in his rescue and care.
This report reflects information available on November 13, 2026.